Festival of Now

The Festival of Now is a major event during South Australia’s Mental Health Week. It is a
celebration of mental health, creativity and inclusiveness that challenges stigma and promotes
community connection.

The Festival of Now is run by a committee of members from NGOs under the Mental Health
Coalition of SA. It was originally designed to cater mostly for the Mental Health sector:
consumers, carers and mental health workers.

Attractions at the festival include live music and performance, free food, arts and crafts, games,
animals, face painting, a chill-out zone, mental health and wellbeing information stalls and more.
All artists who take to the main stage, and those who facilitate creative workshops or peer
sharing circles, have a lived experience of mental illness.

The Festival of Now is a positive event that not only brings all facets of the sector together but
provides an opportunity for collaboration and cross-promotion, broadening the understanding of
mental health in the community. View photos from 2019 here!